India, Pakistan to sign MoU on illicit trafficking in narcotics

Easy availability and cheap rates of pharmaceutical manufacturing sector in India is the main source of criminal's easy access to chemicals and other drug related medicines, which is encouraging the illegal drug production in the region, said Major General Shakeel Hussain, Director General Anti Narcotics Force (ANF) here on Monday.
The Director General ANF was addressing a high level meeting held between delegations of ANF and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) at ANF Headquarters on Monday. Director General Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB), O.P.S Malik led the eleven-member Indian delegation, while Major General Shakeel Hussain led the nine-member ANF delegation in the talks.
The interaction will conclude with signing of a 'Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on Drug Demand Reduction and Prevention of Illicit Trafficking in Narcotics Drugs/Psychotropic Substances and Precursor Chemicals and related matters' between the two governments will being signed.
The ANF chief said that poppy crops in tribal parts of the country had been destroyed due to the military operation and Pakistan again obtained a poppy free country status after 2001. "Once we move forward in co-ordination with each other there would be a permanent end to the cross border drugs and chemical movement between the two countries," he added.
He said that Pakistan is grateful to India for praising efforts of Pakistan in eliminating poppy cultivation, which obtained after over 93 operations in tribal areas. Drug trafficking and production is joint problem of the entire region, which demands sincere and joint efforts to eradicate the menace, said O.P.S. Malik, Director General NCB while addressing the meeting.
"There must be co-ordinated efforts from both sides to reduce demand and production of drugs," Malik said, adding that the menace of drugs must come to an end in South Asia, which is possible only if India and Pakistan stop cross-border trafficking. "We are living in a difficult, but sensitive geo-strategic location, which demands hectic efforts to meet the challenges of drug trafficking and drug production," Malik said. There is need of a joint operation against the smugglers of both traditional as well as synthetic drugs so that the menace could be uprooted once for all, he said.
He said that it is a good omen that both India and Pakistan have joined hands for elimination of drugs and it would yield positive results. The two sides have voiced concern over growing menace of production and abuse of drugs and have decided to enhance the co-operation between Anti Narcotics Forces (ANF) of Pakistan and Narcotics Control Bureau (NCB) of India to make the move a success.
It is pertinent to note that during the Interior Secretary level talks between Pakistan and India held in India on March 29 this year, both the sides agreed that talks between DG NCB and DG ANF to be held annually and an MoU would be formally signed.